How to Become a Capital Project Manager?

Capital project managers are the engineering experts who manage the planning, execution and delivery of a large-scale construction project. They are responsible for developing the project concept, finalizing the architecture design, and ensuring successful implementation. These professionals can work on multiple projects simultaneously and give equal justice to every task. The projects managed by a capital project manager involve huge investments, like building a bridge or a new road. 

Generally, renowned real estate organizations, hospitals, universities or government bodies announce capital construction projects. As these projects have larger scopes, it is significant to hire a manager to oversee everything. Moreover, these projects decide the reputation of any company. So, companies usually never take a risk with quality and timely delivery, which a capital project manager can help. It clearly signifies the demand for a capital project manager and the perks that these professionals enjoy.

Responsibilities of a Capital Project Manager

A capital project manager is the backbone of a construction-related project. They are the mode of communication between all the teams and have answerability to the stakeholders. Some of the primary responsibilities of these professionals are:

• To study the protocols or the FDA guidelines before planning a project. 
• Develop capital plans aligning with the strategic business goals and closely watch their progress.
• Keep a close eye on the bidding processes involved in the construction process.
• Ensuring efficient resource allocation gives every team enough resources to perform to their full potential. 
• Overseeing the quality standards to ensure it never gets compromised throughout the process.
• Managing the entire team involved in the construction process and ensuring everyone works collaboratively towards common goals.
• Deciding the project budget by creating an elaborate cost breakup of all the resources involved. 

The job responsibilities are not confined to the roles mentioned above. A company can add or remove any job role they feel like. These roles would have given you a brief idea of the capital project manager job description. Let me explain how you can become a project manager in the construction industry. 

How to Become a Capital Project Manager in Simple Steps?

To become a capital project manager, the first and foremost thing you need is interest or inclination towards this domain. This job role brings a lot of responsibility and challenges along with the perks, so it is better to stay prepared for them! Apart from that, you require educational qualifications relevant to this field. 

It is apt to opt for certification courses, like Project Management course content to get a deeper understanding and increase your chances of getting hired. I have mentioned the step-by-step process to become a capital project manager. You can refer to it and plan your journey accordingly.

Step 1: Master Skills 

Whichever domain you choose to work in, one thing that you cannot compromise with is your skills. When I mention skills, it elaborates on your personal and professional ability to gel well in the industry and give your best. Skills get categorized into two types, soft and hard skills. What comes under which category? Let us find out.

Soft Skills 

It is about your personality traits that make you the most valued professional in the organization. As a project manager, you are the person who coordinates with every team and with the stakeholders. You will hear them all and make sure all their issues get resolved. Moreover, you are also the one who would be held answerable for project delays or substandard quality. Hence, there are a few life skills expected of you. Some of them are:

• Communication Skills
• Decision Making
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Leadership Qualities

Hard Skills 

Hard skills are about your technical knowledge or the expertise level you have. As it is a management-related field, you must have strong managerial skills and complete know-how in handling construction-related projects. People who take PMP classes learn these hard skills in their courses. Some of the hard skills you must possess:

• Understanding of the construction-related protocols.
• Awareness of the FDA guidelines related to site safety
• Budget planning skills to ensure finances always stay sorted.
• Performing project health checks

Basically, you require all the technical knowledge of the industry that is essential to turn the project into a success. 

Other Competencies

Apart from the skills, other requirements for capital project manager jobs include educational qualifications and experience level. These requirements are:

• Graduate or post-graduate degree in the construction-related domain or business administration.
• Hands-on experience in the construction related businesses
• Renowned certification courses that train professionals in project management. 

Top Capital Project Manager Certifications / Degree 

Certifications are essential for a professional in order to grow in their career and grab the best market opportunities. There are renowned options, like KnowledgeHut's Project Management accredited training, which most professionals prefer. Some complete add-on certifications before their professional career begins to get the best salary packages. However, many people enroll in certification programs during their job tenure to excel in their current positions. Some of the certification courses that you can consider are: 

• Project Management Course content
• PMP classes
• Prince2 training course
• KnowledgeHut's Project Management accredited training
• Construction Management Specialization

There are countless other certification courses available. You can explore which would work best for you and enroll in it to experience exponential career growth. 

Step 2: Determine Your Ideal Timeline 

Effective learning only happens when you learn at your own pace. People often underestimate or overestimate their abilities and try to learn things at a speed that does not match their grasping power. Hence, the most significant suggestion I would give to every enthusiast is to decide on an ideal timeline. 

Start Learning in a Format That Suits You 

The journey to becoming a proficient capital project manager begins with completing your graduation or post-graduation degree. After this, you can enroll on a certification course or choose an entirely different capital project manager career path. Start with an internship where you work as an associate project manager and gain hands-on experience in the domain. 

Once you feel fully capable of handling individual projects, you can try for the project manager job. Which format or process would work for you depends on your career goals and learning capability. So, consider these things and choose the path that pushes you towards your ultimate goals. 

How Long Does It Take to Become a Capital Project Manager? 

Well, it is a bit challenging to answer this question. I can straightaway say that it takes as much time as you take to complete your post-graduation to be ready to become a capital project manager. However, if you ask me how much time it takes till you actually make it big in the industry, it totally depends on you. After the essential education, add the time you take to complete your Prince2 training course or any other certification you choose. All this together can take a few to several years until you establish yourself as a proficient and much-in-demand project manager.

Step 3: Begin Building Your Portfolio / Resume 

Once you have the theoretical know-how of the industry, your next step is to build a portfolio. Understand that your resume or portfolio is the first thing that reaches your employer. It gives a first impression of your business, so you have to create it with the utmost precision. Mention all your academic and co-curricular achievements in it. 

Keep a unique column for the projects you have handled before, and it will help convey your abilities before you say them out in front of the interviewer. I have shared an image of the resume sample of a capital project manager for your reference. 

Qwikresume

Step 4: Where and how to find a job? 

You have theoretical knowledge, your qualifications are relevant, and the resume is ready; what next? The next step is to start exploring the job market. Multiple real estate companies keep launching their capital construction projects. Hence, there are countless job opportunities out there. All you should do is sort out your ultimate goal and start looking for jobs that can lead you towards it. You can explore job-hunting websites or get in touch with the HRs of popular organizations. Now, you might wonder which are these companies where you can look for jobs as a capital project manager. I have listed a few for your reference.

• Larsen & Turbo 
• Bechte
• Accenture 
• Honeywell 
• Ikea 
• Robert Bosch 
• Atkins 
• ServiceNow 
• Reliance Industries 

The list of companies taking capital construction projects is never-ending. So, you can explore them all and find out where you see yourself as the best fit. Pick that company, see what jobs they offer and prepare yourself to crack the interview.

Step 5: Ace the Interview 

The final step of the process is the interview! It can be an elaborate process with three-four levels to cross. However, if you come with a prior experience of more than 10 years, you may sit straight into a personal interview. The steps in the interview process followed by most companies are:

1. There will be a telephonic round where they check your intellect, mannerisms and basic understanding of the construction domain. If the interviewer finds you capable of the next phase, they will call you for it.
2. The next step that rarely happens, is the written exam. You may get asked technical questions related to finance, budget planning, or fundamental administration to judge your abilities. Moreover, there can be questions related to FDA guidelines and protocols also.
3. Moving on, if you have qualified for your written exam, you will sit in front of the interviewers for PI. This round will be a one-to-one conversation between you and the higher management. They will ask a few questions and judge you on your answers.
4. Once every step in the process is through, HR will talk to you about the final remuneration and more. After you come to common ground, your position gets finalized.

Questions you get asked during a PI

The most common questions that the interviewers might ask you are:

• What was the last project you worked on?
• Tell us about a challenging situation you sailed through
• What is your experience with project budgeting?
• How do you react if the project gets delayed?

All the questions will be related to you and your instincts, as they only want to check your capability and the mindset with which you will come to work. 

Who Can Become a Capital Project Manager?

To put it in simple words, anyone who has an inclination towards this domain can become a capital project manager. However, speaking technically, anyone who has completed a bachelor's degree in the construction domain or business administration can become a capital project manager. In addition to that, someone who has completed a certification course related to this domain always has an edge over others. These professionals have higher chances of getting hired and can draw a handsome salary from the market. So, the requirements are:

• Bachelor or post-graduate degree in the construction industry or business administration.
• Hands-on experience in the industry. Your experience talks about the expertise of the industry that you have, so it is certainly a crucial aspect.
• A renowned certification related to this domain. You can start with a fundamental course before joining a full-time position and plan for an advanced program later.

It should be enough for you to get started in this industry. To scale further, you can opt for advanced certification courses. 

Benefits of Working as a Capital Project Manager

Once you are capable enough to establish yourself as an expert capital project manager, you can enjoy countless benefits. The perks you get are not only limited to the monetary advantages. It helps you grow professionally and improves your overall personality. I have listed a few benefits that might incline you toward this domain. 

• There is an ever-increasing demand for these professionals, so you never have to worry about job security. Moreover, you will have a chance to keep switching and exploring endless opportunities.
• Capital project managers draw handsome salaries from the market. Companies constantly hire qualified professionals, so brushing your skills will automatically fetch more money.
• The construction industry has its own challenges. When you think you have learned everything, there will be a change of rules, and you will have to go through everything again. So, if you would like to keep learning, this domain is the best option.

There are countless other benefits of working in this industry. However, you have to prove your worth to enjoy all the advantages. Prepare yourself to grab the best market opportunities, and you can enjoy all these perks and many more working as a capital project manager. 

What is the Demand for a Capital Project Manager?

The construction industry is ever-evolving. There is no way the construction of bridges, roads or other architectural buildings will ever stop. So, it is safe to say that the demand for a capital project manager will continue to grow! All the projects under this category involve considerable funds, so no company would want to take the risk of failure. Hence, it is significant for them to hire a professional who can manage everything well and ensure timely and successful deliveries. 

Salary details for the top 5 countries 

The salaries that the capital project managers get depend on multiple factors. While the fresher candidates get the basic salary, the remuneration keeps improving with added experience. One of the most significant factors that decide the salary of these professionals is the location! I have listed the top 5 companies along with the average remuneration that a capital project manager gets there. 

Country	Salary
India	26 LPA
USA	$ 79000
UK	€ 59000
Canada	87000 CAD
Singapore	88000 SGD

Conclusion

A capital project manager is a promising job role and has multiple perks to offer. So, if you have an inclination towards this industry and come from a relevant educational background, you can begin your career in this domain. Make sure you complete some certification courses before exploring this career option and be capable of exploring excellent job opportunities. Stay focused and prepare from the start, and you can enjoy a safe and monetarily profitable career.